Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

The issue here is what is currently in the bill with regard to requests for flexible working arrangements. Subclause (1)—and I do not want to overstress this point of view—states:

An employee who is a parent, or has a responsibility for the care, of a child under school age may request the employer for a change in working arrangements to assist the employee to care for the child.

It concerns a child under 18 with a disability. I am not convinced that when they turn 19 and have a disability there is any less of a requirement for flexible working arrangements. That is the problem I have with this. The disability carries all the way through, whether they are 18, 19, 20, 30 or 40, and that is the reason I was thinking that we need to strengthen that further, but I will support the amendment.